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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. field — for sport
  3. bore — to tire
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bank — for money
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bank — for money
  17. suit — to fit
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. field — farmland
  20. suit — in cards
  21. field — a subject
  22. bank — of a river
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. suit — clothes

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com